York Cycle Campaign dates for your diary

Spring into action: free security marking

Please bring your bike along to any of these events if you need it marking/registered free by North Yorkshire Police, and let your friends and family know. If you can help with the YCC stalls, email us: 

March: 13th and 24th from 4-6 pm York Railway Station

April: 10th from 4-6 pm York Railway Station; 30th from 3.30-5.30 pm York Minster

May: 8th from 4-6 pm at York Railway Station 

May Mela

On Sunday 11 May York Health Mela returns to Museum Gardens for lots of family entertainment, and YCC will be running a pop up bike park.

Friday evening social ride

28 March at 6:30pm – short ride sets off from minster at 6:30pm and ends in a cafe or pub (last Friday of each month). All welcome.

Cycle Magic talk

On 4 April (7pm) Jim McGurn (co-founder of GetCycling with his wife Sally) will be giving a talk to York Medical Society about his new book, Cycle Magic, and the social history of cycling. The Medical Society has kindly said it will share the Zoom link with interested YCC members. Please register free using the weblink or email for the Zoom link. Remember to mention you’re a member of York Cycle Campaign.

Save the dates 

20-22 June: York Cycle Rally – York’s annual cycle festival on the Knavesmire 

2-3 July Active City York Conference – the annual networking event for Active Travel professionals is coming to our city! There will be lots of fringe cycle-related activities and YCC will be fully involved. 

Recent events

Cycling for all

Towards the end of February YCC had a stall at Get Cycling’s All Together Now event to promote cycling for people of all abilities. People with disabilities were able to find out more about the range of cycles available, and try some models out in a large hall at York Railway Institute. Although unfavourable weather meant attendance wasn’t as high as hoped, this proved to be an enjoyable and informative session.

News

SecureCycle York 

The SecureCycle York group, whose launch we covered in the February newsletter, is holding events and activities to help fight cycle theft. Please note the venues, dates and times in the “Dates for your Diary” section above, and bring your bike if it isn’t already on the Bike Register database, and please spread the word. More events around the city will be added throughout the year.  A logo and information leaflet on anti-theft techniques are in development and will be available shortly. Other activities are being carried out held by the North Yorkshire and British Transport Police to tackle organised crime, and the group plans to have pop-up events to speak to cyclists around the city.  If you are interested in helping YCC tackle cycle crime, please email FAO Leah.

Station car park closure

A reminder that the long-stay station car park is due to close from Saturday 15 March inclusive for the building of a multi-storey as part of the York Station Gateway Scheme. However, we have been assured by both the Council and Network Rail that the Lowther Terrace access route for cyclists/pedestrians will remain open throughout. This and other upcoming changes to the railway station can be found on the Council website.

The YCC committee unmasked

Ever wondered who are the people behind the YCC committee? The new line-up as elected at the last AGM is now revealed in all its glory on our website.

Children want better cycle facilities

Sustrans has published their 2024 Children’s Walking and Cycling report, based on a survey of over one thousand UK 6-15 year olds. Almost a quarter of children who travelled had cycled five or more days in the previous week, but there was a marked gender gap (17% girls vs 28% boys). Half the children questioned would like to cycle more, and around 4 out of 5 wanted more separate cycle lanes along roads separated from the cars, and a similar proportion supported more traffic-free routes.

Welcome to new corporate supporter

JP Architects has become a YCC corporate supporter, in an endorsement of sustainable transport as integral to people-friendly urban design.

Opportunities and actions

Help needed for two big events

• YCC will have a recruitment stall at the annual York Cycle Rally and we need volunteers to help us on 21 and 22 June.
• The Active City York Conference will be a really exciting event with national speakers, media interest in cycling and walking, campaign organised ‘fringe’ etc when we will need lots of volunteers! Please put it in diaries now, book time off work so you can help us out and join in the fun!: 2 and 3 July. 

If you can help with either or both of these, please email us – the more volunteers, the less the load on any one individual. Thank you!

Cycle stand audit: update

YCC members have visited just over 50% of 898 cycle parking locations across York, including all the York BID (Business Improvement District) area. Preliminary reports have been submitted to York BID and the Council on city centre locations. We’d be grateful for your help to finish the survey, so please click on the app and complete the remaining green spots/stands that need surveying on the map

If you notice a stand unmarked on the map, could you provide information about the location and send us a photo of the facility. Finally, if you feel a stand is needed in a particular area, note the location, take a photo, and please provide an explanation of why it is needed. For example, shops or schools are nearby, and there are inadequate stands (full) or none in the area. Note if there is a street light or CCTV nearby and email us the details.

Wheelchair accessible taxis

Disabled members may be interested in a consultation launched by North Yorkshire Council on experiences and views about the availability and usability of wheelchair accessible taxis. The consultation runs until 30 April.

Petition

A petition has been launched to ask government to shift the burden of proof from cyclists/pedestrians to more powerful road users (eg drivers) in certain traffic collisions. You can read more detail and consider signing here.

And in other news…

Naburn trust hut returns

If you have passed Naburn Station on the Sustrans Route 65 recently you may have seen the Trust Hut back in use for basic refreshments. Sustrans was threatening to relinquish the lease but has now lifted the deadline and the licensee will be using the next couple of months to see if it remains viable. Other business models are being considered and will be put to Sustrans for approval in due course. As ever: use it or lose it!

LCC Community Skills Summit

On Saturday 5 April, the London Cycle Campaign Community Skills Summit takes place at Westminster University in Marylebone. It’s a full day of talks, workshops and networking for anyone that wants to improve walking, wheeling and cycling in their local area (inside or beyond London). Free to attend but please register. 

Open Country accessible trails

Open Country is a charity devoted to helping people with a disability to access and enjoy the countryside. They produce a series of leaflets with accessible trails, some of which are accessible to cyclists. Open Country also organise tandem rides for those with disabilities – these are due to start again from April on Tuesday evenings in York. Contact them for more information and to volunteer as a front rider.

Head for the hills

A member drew our attention to this inspiring video from the Adaptive Riders Collective (and mentioned in the Wheels for Wellbeing newsletter). In it, three ordinary disabled cyclists head for an overnight stay in a bothy in the Scottish Highlands.